PTA options?

[cameronWA]

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Since the PA career requires medical experience, would serving as a PTA (Probably in an orthopetic setting) count as that experience, and after awhile of working as a PTA could I earn my bachelor's and my pre-req's, then apply to PA school?

Also, does anyone have any more recent salaries of a PTA, or if you are a PTA, maybe give an around the ballpark estimate as to what a entry PTA licensed out of school could make? I am in Washington state, near the tacoma/gig harbor area if that helps. Thanks 😀

 

[jbizzle]

Cameron, thats my nephews name, lol. Ive seen some PTAs make in the 40s.

 

[cameronWA]

Haha hey there again jbizzle. But mid-40's is for a more experienced PTA? I contacted this office and asked for a estimate of a PTA starting salary. (They were trying to hire a few..) and she told me mid 20's.. so I was a bit tooken back, I would not go to PTA school for a mid 20 salary..

Do you know if that would apply as medical experience towards becoming a PA, because I don't want to start with a nurse model.

 

[jbizzle]

Haha hey there again jbizzle. But mid-40's is for a more experienced PTA? I contacted this office and asked for a estimate of a PTA starting salary. (They were trying to hire a few..) and she told me mid 20's.. so I was a bit tooken back, I would not go to PTA school for a mid 20 salary..

Do you know if that would apply as medical experience towards becoming a PA, because I don't want to start with a nurse model.

PTA only takes 1.5 to 2 years after you get into program.

 

[cameronWA]

Yes, so pretty much an associates for a mid 20's, haha I dont know if its just me, that seems either incorrect or just messed up. But some of the PTs on SDN say they pay their PTA nicely, so idk, I guess it just depends on location and what clinic/practice.

Thanks for the help

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

You need medical experience for PA school, but only in the form of shadowing or volunteering...you don't need to work in an entirely different field first. My roommate is a first year PA student...she's 23 and took a year off after undergrad to save up money, and then enrolled.

Why bother doing the PTA thing first? If you don't have your bachelors yet, just go do that and then apply to the PA program during your senior year.

And I wouldn't worry so much about salary...in my experience picking a career on salary alone is a very bad idea.

 

[cameronWA]

I dont really worry about salary, but 20k is to low for me. I need at least 40k, and be doing something that is fulfilling. So I think i'll just shadow a PT, then decide which route to take.

 

[atstudent]

Yes, so pretty much an associates for a mid 20's, haha I dont know if its just me, that seems either incorrect or just messed up. But some of the PTs on SDN say they pay their PTA nicely, so idk, I guess it just depends on location and what clinic/practice.

Thanks for the help

You do realize there are a lot of Bachelors Degrees that pay that or possibly even less, right?

 

[jbizzle]

You do realize there are a lot of Bachelors Degrees that pay that or possibly even less, right?

hahaha sooo true. lol. like social workers here where im from. It's a good job too, crappy pay though.